Common Faith

SiriusXM

A rabbi and a journalist walk into… not a bar, not a synagogue, but a SiriusXM podcast studio. Each week, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Senior Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue, and Jon Frankel, formerly of Real Sports, will banter, question, and explore the big issues of our day through the lens of Jewish tradition and lived experience. The program is designed to be fun, thoughtful, and engaging—where faith matters, and conversation runs deep.

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26 episodes
weekly
Avg 52 min
English

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#54
Today · 50 min
Sukkot and the Jewish Experience with Rabbi Mark Wildes
What can Sukkot teach us about belonging? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome Rabbi Mark Wildes, founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience, to explore the holiday’s lessons of impermanence, hospitality, and opening the door to Jewish life. The conversation turns to The Jewish Experience, Wildes’ accessible guide to Jewish thought and practice, and why more Jews are searching for deeper connection in the years since October 7.
#53
September 17 · 50 min
Can We Repair What’s Broken? Grief, Yom Kippur, and the Scars We Carry
What does healing mean when some losses can never be repaired? As Yom Kippur approaches, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore reflection, repentance and the relationships that cannot always be repaired. Rabbis Nicole Guzik and Erez Sherman join them to discuss Grieving a Child: A Companion Guide for Clergy and what they’ve learned about accompanying families through unimaginable loss—and carrying grief forward without leaving love or memory behind.
#52
September 10 · 52 min
Choosing Life: Rosh Hashanah with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg
At the start of a new Jewish year, one of Judaism’s leading thinkers asks what it truly means to choose life. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome renowned Jewish thinker Rabbi Yitz Greenberg for a Rosh Hashanah conversation about creation, renewal and the choices that give life meaning. Greenberg reflects on his new collection, Life Against Death, and explores Jewish responsibility, Israel, pluralism and why the High Holidays call us not simply to reflect—but to choose life.
#51
September 3 · 51 min
Rachel Goldberg-Polin on Grief, the High Holidays, and the Power of “Yet”
As the High Holidays approach, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, to talk about grief, memory, faith, and her book When We See You Again. In a deeply personal conversation, Rachel reflects on the son she calls “the blessed ordinary,” the cruelty she now finds in the command to remember, and the question that remains before her: how do you keep moving through a tunnel when you cannot see where—or whether—it ends?
#50
August 27 · 48 min
Is College Football a Religion? Paul Finebaum on Faith, Football & the South
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum joins Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel to discuss growing up Jewish in Memphis, his Southern Jewish identity, and balancing faith, family, and a life spent covering college football. Plus, Finebaum weighs in on the almost religious devotion of college football fans, the changing landscape of the sport, Michigan, the SEC vs. Big Ten—and what happens when loyalty collides with our values.
#49
August 20 · 51 min
Back to School Special: Jewish Life on Campus - The Hillel Story
As students head back to college, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with three veteran campus rabbis—Rabbi Jessica Kirschner of Stanford, Rabbi Rachel Isaacs of Colby College, and Rabbi Ari Israel of the University of Maryland—to talk about what Jewish life on campus really looks like today. From antisemitism and the aftermath of October 7 to Shabbat dinners, unexpected conversations, Jewish resilience, and even Tashlich in space, they explore why the essential work of Hillel remai
#48
August 13 · 51 min
Legacy on the Line: Wealth, Values, and What We Pass On
What do we really pass from one generation to the next? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome wealth advisor and author Andrea Baumann Lustig for a conversation about money, family, philanthropy and the values hidden inside our financial choices. Drawing on her new book, Legacy on the Line, Lustig argues that true legacy is about far more than inheritance: it is about the wisdom, responsibility and resilience we “shape forward” for those who come after us.
#47
August 6 · 52 min
Shift: Ethan Kross on Managing Emotions in a Complex World
We all experience anxiety, anger, grief, jealousy, and joy—but what if the goal isn't to eliminate difficult emotions, but to learn how to work with them? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with bestselling author and University of Michigan psychologist Ethan Kross to explore the science of emotional regulation, the wisdom of Jewish tradition, and practical tools for navigating life's emotional highs and lows.
#46
July 30 · 53 min
Hollywood R.I.P.? David Mikics on Movies, Culture, and Jewish Identity
Hollywood was built in large part by Jewish immigrants, but how much of that legacy remains today? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the Jewish roots of the movie industry, the evolving role of Jewish identity in American culture, and whether Hollywood is losing its creative soul. Joined by author and cultural critic David Mikics, they discuss everything from Louis B. Mayer and Casablanca to Spielberg, Kubrick, and the challenges facing Jewish voices in entertainment today.
#45
July 23 · 50 min
The Wanderers: Uncovering Hidden Histories of Jewish Survival
What happens when two Jewish women meet in Los Angeles and discover their families came from the same Polish town - and survived the Holocaust through a little-known journey across the Soviet Union? Authors Daniela Gerson and Talia Inlander join Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel to discuss The Wanderers, their remarkable story of exile, survival, family history, and unexpected love. Together they explore memory, refugee experiences, and the hidden histories that continue to shape Jewish life
#44
July 16 · 51 min
The Digital Dilemma: Judaism's Opportunities and Risks in an Age of AI
Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we learn, communicate, and build community—but what does Jewish tradition have to say about it? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the promise and peril of technology with Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone of Chabad.org and Daniel Kelley of the ADL. From using AI to spread Torah and strengthen Jewish connection to confronting online hate and antisemitism, this conversation examines how Jewish values can guide us through the digital age.
#43
July 9 · 51 min
Maccabi USA: Uniting Jewish Athletes Worldwide
What happens when athletic competition becomes a vehicle for Jewish identity, global connection, and love of Israel? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with Maccabi USA CEO Marshall Einhorn and longtime participant Dr. Danny Cosgrove to explore the Maccabiah Games—the world's largest Jewish sporting event. From elite competition to lifelong friendships, they discuss how sports unite Jewish athletes across generations, countries, and backgrounds.
#42
July 2 · 51 min
America at 250: The Jewish Contribution to America's Independence
As America marks its 250th anniversary, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the deep connections between the American experiment and the Jewish experience. They reflect on the promises of freedom, citizenship, and opportunity that have shaped Jewish life in the United States before welcoming Dan Tadmor, CEO of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Together, they uncover little-known stories of Jewish involvement in the Revolutionary War and discuss how museums help p
#41
June 25 · 52 min
Knowledge Is Power: Understanding Breast Health and Genetic Testing with Dr. Elisa Port
Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women every year, yet conversations about screening, prevention, and genetic testing remain difficult for many families. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with renowned breast surgeon Dr. Elisa Port to discuss what everyone should know about breast health, the role of BRCA genetic testing, and why early detection saves lives. Drawing from her new book The Breast Advice, Dr. Port shares patient stories, medical insights, and practical gu
#40
June 18 · 52 min
A Culinary Celebration of Jewish Culture with The Great Nosh & Joan Nathan
Food is far more than nourishment—it is memory, identity, culture, and connection. In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore how Jewish food serves as a living archive of history and tradition. Through conversations with Jewish Food Society founder Naama Shefi and renowned food writer Joan Nathan, they examine how recipes carry family stories across generations, how shared meals build community, and why food remains one of the most powerful gateways into Jewi
#39
June 11 · 52 min
The World Cup and the American Exception: Soccer, Identity, and Belonging
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in North America, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore why soccer captivates billions around the globe but remains culturally distinct in America. With authors Franklin Foer and Andrei Markovits, they examine globalization, identity, Jewish belonging, and what the world's most popular sport reveals about who we are.
#38
June 4 · 52 min
Hidden in Plain Sight: Susan Orlean and the Art of Storytelling
What if the most meaningful stories are the ones we almost overlook? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore why the smallest stories often matter most. Then they welcome bestselling author and longtime New Yorker writer Susan Orlean for a conversation about storytelling, curiosity, memory, Jewish identity, and the extraordinary hidden inside everyday life.
#37
May 28 · 53 min
Inside the Haredi Community: Education, Identity, and Israel’s Future
Can Israel preserve religious tradition while building a more shared and sustainable future? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with Rabbi Menachem Bombach, a Haredi educator and social entrepreneur working to bridge one of the deepest divides in Israeli society: the relationship between the ultra-Orthodox community and the modern State of Israel.
#36
May 21 · 52 min
Exploring Shavuot: Reimagining Jewish Education with David Bryfman
In a world of infinite choice and growing uncertainty, what does it mean to teach the next generation not just how to be Jewish—but why? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel welcome leading Jewish educator David Bryfman for a wide-ranging conversation about Shavuot, Jewish identity, Israel education, and the urgent challenges of raising Jewish children in a post-October 7th world.
#35
May 14 · 52 min
Beyond Borders: Water, Power & Peace in the Middle East with Gidon Bromberg
In a region defined by conflict, can water, energy, and the environment become the foundation for peace? Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel sit down with EcoPeace Middle East co-founder Gidon Bromberg to explore how environmental cooperation across Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories may offer a new path toward peace—even in the midst of war.

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